Annette Barcelo
The spontaneity of Barcelo’s strokes and figuration resists classification and canonization. She insists that her painterly expression should defy categorization, as her approach to the female body is characterized by functionality and transience, closely linked to the processes of birth and the self-image of a woman defying patriarchy of the 1980s art world in Switzerland.
In Barcelo’s work, we witness the emergence of a unique universe populated by almost mystical figures. She constructed a bestiary inhabited by eerie creatures, witch priestesses, chimeras, and various animal forms. These figures seem to hover between life and death, possessing a certain power over mortality and rebirth. At times, they can be interpreted as substitutes for human figures and interactions, but the female figure remains at the core of her visual vocabulary and is represented in nearly every work.
Annette Barcelo (*1943, Basel) lives and works in Basel. She attended the Schule für Gestaltung in Basel (Basel School of Design). Her artistic practice has spanned more than five decades; she often works in series using various techniques, such as painting, drawing, and printmaking. Her distinctive visual language explores the connections between various areas of life, including birth and death, flora and fauna, and different mythologies. Barcelo’s works have been widely exhibited, including at Galerie Anne de Villepoix in Paris, Galleria Madragoa in Lisbon, Galerie Mäder in Basel, and the Aargauer Kunsthaus in Aarau.
